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| Hi, this is one of our (almost) daily tastings. Santé! |
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September 2, 2025 |
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World Whiskies, Session #4,567,126
We joke, of course, but whiskies from around the world are now pouring in, and it’s not so easy to find them a place on this modest website, which is more used to comparing Glendullan to Mannochmore, or Ardbeg 1974 vs 1975. You see what I mean. Still, it’s a breath of fresh air, at times improbable, at times daunting, but undoubtedly progressing steadily. Okay, it’s all a bit politically correct, I admit, but let’s get on with it, starting with France, as usual… |
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Domaine des Hautes Glaces 'Epistémé R15C25 carré' (47%, OB, France, Rye, 666 bottles, 2025) 
The treasure hunt continues, with a devilish bottle count! It spent a little time in new oak, the rest in ex-Cognac, in the manner of... Cognacs. Colour: pale gold. Nose: but it’s smoky! Rye bread that’s been through the hearth, caraway, sweet gentian, celery, carrot… It’s all very amusing and really rather lovely. Mouth: the earthy and rooty theme carries on, we’re unearthing improbable rhizomes and small forgotten root vegetables—think salsify or parsnip—yet we’re all for it, this is a spirit that truly expresses the soil beneath, and that’s not something one encounters too often. Continues on mustard and horseradish, but in a gentle and balanced register. Finish: good length, with salty thrusts that could almost evoke an Alpine gazpacho. I know what I mean. Comments: this is smashing stuff, and above all, extraordinarily distinctive, much in the style of truly artisanal mezcals.
SGP:472 - 89 points. |
We’re heading to Brittany… |
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Armorik 12 yo 2011/2024 (55%, OB, France, LMDW Foundations, refill bourbon barrel, cask #926, 280 bottles) 
The pioneer of French whiskies, following Clayssens in Wambrechies in the North where they were more into grain. Colour: gold. Nose: I do hope I shan’t offend anyone by saying this feels very Scottish, with a lemony malt and some chalk of exquisite beauty. It’s lively, cheerful, classical. With water: porridge, that chalk still shining through, cider apples (naturally) and a soft, understated vanilla. Mouth (neat): very good, apples, lemons, dill and watercress. Who could be against that? With water: top-notch, fresh, still dancing on notes of aniseed and dill, which I’m rather fond of. Refreshing. Finish: not terribly long but fresh and full of bounce, like a little summer frock. I’m paraphrasing Christian Dior on Alsatian Riesling here. Comments: perfect classicism.
SGP:651 - 87 points. |
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Indri 2018/2025 ‘Peated Oloroso’ (58.5%, OB, India, for Germany, cask #33, 564 bottles)
Frankly, ‘peated oloroso’ with no punctuation sounds as dodgy as ‘coffee with mustard’, but let’s keep an open mind if you don’t mind. Especially since we’ve already tasted some very good Indri. Colour: mahogany. Nose: truffle, fresh rubber, scorched brake pads post-race, cordite, onion tart, then beef stock, glutamate, Maggi and oven-roasted marrow. It’s all rather spectacular. With water: same again, just leaning a little more towards parsley and chicken broth. Mouth (neat): a monster, though in the best possible sense. Take caramel, tar, truffles, orange liqueur, salt, pepper and Bovril, stir them all together, and here you are. More or less, let’s say… With water: reduced broth that’s simmered for hours upon hours. Finish: the same story. Comments: what a concoction! There’s nothing classical here, nothing safe, nothing soothing… In short, it’s a monster. In the best possible sense. The slightly jaded taster will rejoice.
SGP:482 - 87 points. |
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Säntis 12 yo 2012/2024 (59.3%, OB, for Whisky Picnic Bar Taiwan, Switzerland, ex-sherry, cask #718, 146 bottles)
We’re pleased to be tasting Säntis again, even if it’s via Taiwan, as these Eastern Swiss whiskies aren’t exactly known for timidity. Colour: red mahogany. Nose: surprisingly classical, meaning full of bitter orange, walnuts and dark honeys, but truth be told we’re veering more towards top-tier rum than whisky here. With water: same direction, even ripe pineapple and a dab of acetone in a Jamaican sort of way. Mouth (neat): I promise you, this could pass for rum. Molasses, jasmine, liquorice, black olive, hibiscus syrup… Don’t tell me it’s the sherry that did all that. With water: same profile, we’re clearly deep in the realm of excellent, saline-leaning rums. Finish: indeed. Comments: may we see the cask papers, please? Just kidding. Then again, perhaps they distilled a heavily hopped beer, something like a triple IPA? Or maybe they pushed some wild fermentation to the limits? We’ll probably never know… PS: we love it, you never get bored with Säntis.
SGP:463 - 88 points. |
While we’re in Switzerland… |
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Johnett 2012/2024 (47.9%, OB, Switzerland, Pinot Noir, 281 bottles) 
This is made by the house of Etter, renowned fruit distillers. Pinot Noir in whisky maturation is a rather contentious affair, but I studied in Burgundy, so I’m naturally inclined to react favourably to blackcurrant, musty mop cloth, hare belly and what the old ones used to call ‘unkempt nun’. Other times indeed… Let’s see how this unfolds… Colour: full gold. Nose: much lighter than expected, soft, with notes of blood orange and Aperol. No Burgundian vibes just yet. And by the way, let’s not be too quick to write off Swiss Pinot Noirs, some of them aren’t half bad. Mouth: brushing up against strawberry and paraffin, an oddball assembly that’s lacking a bit of backbone. Finish: medium length, a little sour, but fair enough. Comments: very honest. Could probably chuck it into the fondue pot as well… Right then, I think I’ll wait a bit before setting foot in Switzerland again.
SGP:531 - 70 points. |
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Morris of Rutherglen ‘Signature’ (40%, OB, Australia, +/-2023)
When you see the word ‘signature’, it’s a bit like ‘reserve’—rather entry-level, let’s be honest. You’ll retort that a range needs a starting point, and you’d be quite right. Let’s have a look… Colour: gold. Nose: pleasant, fairly oaky over a rather light distillate, vanilla, cinnamon, ripe apples… A touch of caramel, but genuinely nice. Mouth: a pretty whisky, light indeed, slightly overrun by an intrusive coconut note, but as they say, it goes down easily. Finish: coconut liqueur and banana cake. Comments: precisely my definition of a 75-point spirit, which is well above the global average for spirits production, which, in theory and by our reckoning, hovers around 50/100, 50%, 50 points, whatever the name of the scale you use.
SGP:630 - 75 points. |
Right then, we’ll finish with something really funny… |
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St. Kilian ‘Judas Priest Invincible Shield’ (47%, OB, Germany, 7,850 bottles, 2024) 
To sum up, there are clearly people of very high standing—and deeply into whisky, mind you—who at some point decided that 7,850 souls might be moved to purchase a whisky in tribute to this rather improbable band called ‘Judas Priest’. Naturally, no disrespect meant here to St. Kilian nor to Judas Priest themselves, whose oeuvre, truth be told, we’re unfamiliar with, though surely it's richly deserving. One must admire the boldness and utter lack of fear here! Colour: straw. Nose: pleasant, on grist, rye, porridge, very ripe apples, pear juice and fireplace ashes. No Judas references just yet. Mouth: but it’s good! Lovely barley, apples, mild ales, ripe bananas, honeyed cereal porridge, rustic bread with dried fruits… Yes indeed, it’s good. Finish: a few smoky and salty touches round off the picture nicely. Comments: we’re having a laugh, but in the glass, it’s all going really rather well. I even put Judas Priest on Spotify out of sheer curiosity—it was called ‘Painkiller’. The cats bolted, I nearly died laughing… Honestly, we love it!!!! Whisky leads to everything.
SGP:551 - 84 points. |
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